A donut ride in Dubai is a 30-minute towed tube ride: up to four of you ride one round inflatable while a boat pulls it across the sea off Jumeirah. We book it for $149 per ride, not per person, so a full tube is about $37 each. Riders must be 12 or older, and the team photographs and films the ride for free. The donut ride starts at Umm Suqeim harbour next to the Jumeirah Beach Hotel, and the $228 option adds a 30-minute jet ski to the Burj Al Arab.
By SB Excursions · Published 22 October 2026 · Updated 22 October 2026
Tour on this route: Tubing Donut Ride in Dubai — From $149 per ride, 30 minutes.
How much is a donut ride in Dubai?
$149 per ride for 30 minutes, with up to 4 riders on one tube: about $37 each when the tube is full, $74.50 each for two. Free photos and videos are included. The $228 option adds a 30-minute jet ski ride to the Burj Al Arab on one jet ski for up to 2 riders.
This guide also answers:
- Is the donut ride priced per person?
- What is the minimum age for the donut ride?
- Where does the donut ride start? Is there a hotel pickup?
Ways to book the donut ride
#1
The donut ride
One round tube towed behind a boat off the Jumeirah coast for 30 minutes, after a safety briefing from the team. The price is for the ride, not per person, so four riders pay about $37 each. The team photographs and films the ride for free; collect the files before you leave the harbour.
#2
Donut ride plus a jet ski
The tube for up to four, then a 30-minute jet ski ride behind an instructor to the Burj Al Arab, on one jet ski for up to 2 riders. Drivers must be 16 or older and passengers at least 5. Both rides come with free photos and videos, and both start from the same harbour.
#3
A jet ski for every pair
Add a second jet ski, from $79, to the $228 combo and all four riders get the tube and a jet ski ride, two to a jet ski: about $77 a head. Afternoon jet ski slots cost more, so we confirm the exact total for your slot before you pay.
#4
Parasailing for whoever would rather fly
Not everyone wants to be thrown around on a tube. From the same base, a parasail flight gives 10-12 minutes in the air off Jumeirah on a boat trip of about an hour, solo or as a tandem for two. It has no free photos, so ask about the GoPro (AED 150) when booking.
What the donut ride is, and what it is not
One round inflatable tube, up to four riders, a boat pulling it for 30 minutes. That is the donut ride, also sold as tubing, and it is the group ride we book at the watersports base in Umm Suqeim harbour. The price is $149 for the ride, whether two of you get on or four, and riders must be 12 or older.
Two names cause confusion. In Dubai, a "donut boat" can also mean a round floating BBQ boat for a slow cruise; this guide is about the towed tube, the one that gets you soaked. The other name that comes up is the banana boat, the long inflatable that riders straddle in a row. It is not one of the five activities at the base: the donut ride is the group tube here, the same idea of friends on one inflatable behind a boat, with everyone in a single round tube instead of in a line.
If you are weighing up all the options on the water, the water sports in Dubai guide covers the five activities at the base. This one is about the tube: what it costs per head, what it feels like, who can ride and how to pair it with a jet ski.
Price: one ride, up to four riders
The donut is priced per ride, which changes the maths from the per-person activities. The tube costs $149 for 30 minutes whether it carries one rider or four, so the fuller it is, the cheaper each seat. Here is what it comes to for two, three and four riders, with the jet ski options included.
| Booking | Riders | Total | Per person |
|---|---|---|---|
| Donut ride | 2 on the tube | $149 | $74.50 |
| Donut ride | 3 on the tube | $149 | About $50 |
| Donut ride | 4 on the tube | $149 | About $37 |
| Donut ride + 1 jet ski (combo) | 4 on the tube, 2 on the jet ski | $228 | $57 |
| Donut ride + 2 jet skis | 4 on the tube, 4 on jet skis | From $307 | About $77 |
Donut prices are per ride for 30 minutes, free photos and videos included. Jet ski prices are per jet ski for 30 minutes with up to 2 riders, from $79; afternoon jet ski slots cost more, and we confirm the exact price before payment.
Four riders is the sweet spot. At about $37 each, a full tube is the cheapest activity at the base per head, just under the $39.50 each that two people pay when they share a $79 jet ski. With only two of you, the comparison flips: the tube is $149, while one jet ski for two is from $79, so a couple who mainly want speed may prefer the jet ski to the Burj Al Arab.
What 30 minutes on the tube feel like
You do not steer or do anything except hold on. The boat sets the course and the pace, and the tube follows, swinging out across the wake on the turns and bouncing over the boat's own waves. With up to four people in one tube, the ride is as much about the group as the sea: everyone gets thrown the same way at the same moment, and there is a lot of shrieking.
Thirty minutes is a proper session rather than a quick spin, long enough for a nervous rider to settle in. It begins with a safety briefing and a few tips from the team, in English, French or Arabic, and that is the moment to mention anyone in the group who is anxious about the water.
Next to the other activities at the base, the donut is the social one. The jet ski is about driving, parasailing is calm and quiet, the flyboard and the wakeboard are skills to learn; the tube asks nothing of you except a sense of humour about getting wet.
Falling in, getting soaked and swimming
Expect to be soaked, whatever happens. Spray comes over the tube on the turns, and that is half the point. Coming off the tube into the sea can happen too: ask the team at the safety briefing what to do if you fall in.
Tell us when you book if anyone in the group cannot swim. We check with the team at the base and confirm before you pay, rather than finding out on the day. The donut ride is not allowed during pregnancy.
- Tie long hair back and leave hats and loose sunglasses in the locker; they are easy to lose on a turn.
- Leave the phone ashore. The team takes the photos and videos, so nobody needs a phone on the tube.
- Ask your questions at the briefing. The team explains the ride and gives a few tips before you get on the tube; that is the time to ask, not halfway out to sea.
Who can ride: 12 and over
Riders must be 12 or older. That makes the donut a family activity for teenagers and older children rather than small ones, and no activity at the base takes children under 5. With a child under 12, the jet ski is the alternative from the same harbour: passengers from 5 ride with a driver aged 16 or over.
One tube takes up to 4 riders. Send us the riders' ages and approximate weights when you book, and we confirm with the team that the group suits one tube before you pay.
For family planning, the Dubai with kids guide shows where a morning on the water fits into the trip, and the water sports age, weight and safety rules put the limits for every activity at the base side by side.
What to wear and bring
Pack as if you are going swimming, because you more or less are.
- Swimwear you do not mind getting soaked. A swimsuit or board shorts; anything you would mind seeing wet stays in the locker.
- A towel and sunscreen. Lockers, changing rooms and showers are at the base.
- An original passport or Emirates ID for every rider. It is a Dubai maritime rule: the physical document, not a copy or a photo on your phone.
- Your phone, for afterwards. Collect the free photos and videos by AirDrop or WhatsApp before you leave the harbour, because the files are not kept after 24 hours.
The $228 combo: donut ride plus a jet ski
The donut ride leaves from the same harbour as our jet ski tour, and the $228 option books both: the 30-minute donut ride and a 30-minute jet ski ride behind an instructor to the Burj Al Arab, on one jet ski for up to 2 riders. A 30-minute break separates the two rides. Drivers must be 16 or older and passengers at least 5, and the jet ski comes with free photos and videos too.
For a group of four, add a second jet ski, from $79, so everyone gets a turn at sea level: from $307 in all, about $77 a head for two rides each. Afternoon jet ski slots cost more, and we confirm the exact total before payment.
The Burj Al Arab is closed for restoration until about late 2027, with no fixed reopening date; the jet ski shows it from the sea, and its sail-shaped exterior stays in view. The jet ski in Dubai guide covers the ride itself. Anyone in the group who would rather watch from above can take the parasailing flight from the same base instead, ages 15 and over.
Getting there, timing and booking
The meeting point is Umm Suqeim Fishing Harbour (Fishing Harbour 2) on Jumeirah Road in Umm Suqeim 2, next to the Jumeirah Beach Hotel. It is in Jumeirah, not at JBR (Jumeirah Beach Residence), a mix-up worth avoiding with a taxi driver. There is no hotel pickup; we send the exact pin after booking. Arrive 20 minutes before your slot for check-in and the briefing: late arrivals ride only at the team's discretion.
October to April is the comfortable season on the water in Dubai. From May to September it is hot, and the early slots are the coolest. Rides depend on sea conditions: if the sea is too rough, we move your ride to another available slot, and if none fits your dates, we refund your payment in full.
To book, message us on WhatsApp with the date, the number of riders and their ages. We agree the time, full prepayment confirms the slot, and cancellation is free up to 24 hours before the ride. Then book the donut ride and leave the photos to the team.
FAQ
How much is a donut ride in Dubai?
$149 per ride for 30 minutes, with up to 4 riders on one tube: about $37 each when the tube is full, $74.50 each for two. Free photos and videos are included. The $228 option adds a 30-minute jet ski ride to the Burj Al Arab on one jet ski for up to 2 riders.
Is the donut ride priced per person?
No, per ride. The tube costs $149 whether it carries one rider or four, so a group pays once. Jet skis are priced per jet ski as well: from $79 for 30 minutes with up to 2 riders, with afternoon slots costing more.
What is the minimum age for the donut ride?
12 years old. Younger children can join the jet ski from the same harbour as passengers from 5, with a driver aged 16 or over. No activity at the base takes children under 5, and the donut ride is not allowed during pregnancy.
Is a donut ride the same as a banana boat?
Close, but not the same. A banana boat is a long inflatable that riders straddle in a row; the donut is one round tube that up to four people ride together. The banana boat is not among the five activities at the base, so the donut is the group tube we book. A "donut boat" in Dubai can also mean a floating BBQ boat, which is a different thing entirely.
Will I fall off the donut?
You might, and you will certainly get soaked. Every ride starts with a safety briefing and a few tips from the team, so ask there what to do if you come off. Tell us when booking if anyone cannot swim, and we check with the team at the base before you pay.
What should I bring for the donut ride?
Swimwear you do not mind getting soaked, a towel, sunscreen and an original passport or Emirates ID for every rider; copies and photos on a phone are not accepted. Lockers, changing rooms and showers are at the base, and the team takes the photos and videos.
Where does the donut ride start? Is there a hotel pickup?
At Umm Suqeim Fishing Harbour (Fishing Harbour 2) on Jumeirah Road, next to the Jumeirah Beach Hotel, in Jumeirah and not at JBR. There is no hotel pickup; we send the exact pin after booking. Arrive 20 minutes before your slot.
Recommended Dubai tours for this guide
Tubing Donut Ride in Dubai
The price covers the whole tube, so a group of four pays once rather than four times. Riders must be 12 or older, the team takes the photos and videos, and the ride starts from the same harbour as our jet ski tour: the $228 option adds a 30-minute jet ski ride to the Burj Al Arab, with a 30-minute break between the two rides.
- Duration
- 30 minutes
- Area
- Jumeirah, Dubai
- Format
- Towed donut ride
- Best for
- friends, couples and families with children aged 12+ who want one ride to share on the water
From $149 per ride Full prepayment
View tour
Jet Ski to Burj Al Arab in Dubai
It is the Burj Al Arab from sea level, without a licence or previous experience: the instructor rides in front, stops at the landmark for photos and sends you the files after the ride, and two people share one jet ski at no extra cost. The 60-minute ride continues to Atlantis on the Palm, and a 2-hour ride is arranged on request for groups of 4 jet skis or more.
- Duration
- 30 minutes or 1 hour
- Area
- Jumeirah, Dubai
- Format
- Guided jet ski
- Best for
- couples, friends and first-time riders who want the Burj Al Arab from the water
From $79 per jet ski Full prepayment
View tour
Parasailing Flight in Dubai
It is the Jumeirah coast from the air without driving anything: the crew briefs you before take-off and runs the boat, and you fly solo or as a tandem with a friend or partner. The base is the same Umm Suqeim harbour as our jet ski ride, so the two fit into one visit with a 30-minute break between them; flyers must be 15 or older, with about 150 kg per flight.
- Duration
- 1 hour, 10-12 min in the air
- Area
- Jumeirah, Dubai
- Format
- Parasailing boat trip
- Best for
- couples, friends and first-timers aged 15+ who want the Jumeirah coast from the air without driving anything
From $99 per person Full prepayment
View tour